Explorer Ranger front diff swapp?

[Danny74]

Hello, I was looking for some information or advice on what's compatible between the Explorer and ranger. So here's the situation: I have a 1993 4 L 4X4 ranger. I need to basically replace all my brake Parts in the rear. I'm talking wheel cylinders, backing plates and some of the brake lines on the axle. It's all pretty rusty. I live in New York state.

So I thought about just putting in a whole new axle out of an explorer, maybe I get a locking differential out of it as well or possibly a disc brake set up too. Welding the spring perches on top is not a big deal for me. Somebody on here suggested that I stick with drum brakes because I plan on doing a lot of Towing once I get a enclosed trailer for all my tools, but I'm not sure if it matters. I'm told there's better stopping power with drum brakes then discs because of the increased surface area of shoes compared to pads. Anyway I came across somebody selling an 8.8 axle out of a 2010 Ranger with disc brakes and 410 gears. My Rangers got 3.73. At first I thought I could just swap out the gears but then I came across an ad for somebody selling for really cheap, like 10 bucks the front differential out of a 99 Explorer with 4.10 gears. They say the carrier may not be good but the gears are still good. I believe I can swap out the front gears but I just want to double check here if anybody knew if there's going to be a problem between the front end gear out of 99 Explorer into the front end of a 93 ranger. I'm only thinking about this because I'm told the 410 would give my truck a little bit more towing capacity especially when I get myself a little travel trailer.

 

[bobbywalter]

iirc....not the same. that year ex is a d30

 

[2011Supercab]

Something in the back of my brain is saying one of those is a reverse rotation and the other is not.

 

[pjtoledo]

the 2010 Ranger rear axle does not have a tone ring or provisions for the sensor.

 

[bobbywalter]

Something in the back of my brain is saying one of those is a reverse rotation and the other is not.

that is a fact.

 

[bobbywalter]

the 2010 Ranger rear axle does not have a tone ring or provisions for the sensor.

because it has two tone rings at the wheel.

 

[pjtoledo]

correct.
the tooth counts aren't even close.

 

[bobbywalter]

correct.
the tooth counts aren't even close.

but the abs module puts out what ya need

 

[4x4junkie]

Hello, I was looking for some information or advice on what's compatible between the Explorer and ranger. So here's the situation: I have a 1993 4 L 4X4 ranger. I need to basically replace all my brake Parts in the rear. I'm talking wheel cylinders, backing plates and some of the brake lines on the axle. It's all pretty rusty. I live in New York state.

So I thought about just putting in a whole new axle out of an explorer, maybe I get a locking differential out of it as well or possibly a disc brake set up too. Welding the spring perches on top is not a big deal for me. Somebody on here suggested that I stick with drum brakes because I plan on doing a lot of Towing once I get a enclosed trailer for all my tools, but I'm not sure if it matters. I'm told there's better stopping power with drum brakes then discs because of the increased surface area of shoes compared to pads. Anyway I came across somebody selling an 8.8 axle out of a 2010 Ranger with disc brakes and 410 gears. My Rangers got 3.73. At first I thought I could just swap out the gears but then I came across an ad for somebody selling for really cheap, like 10 bucks the front differential out of a 99 Explorer with 4.10 gears. They say the carrier may not be good but the gears are still good. I believe I can swap out the front gears but I just want to double check here if anybody knew if there's going to be a problem between the front end gear out of 99 Explorer into the front end of a 93 ranger. I'm only thinking about this because I'm told the 410 would give my truck a little bit more towing capacity especially when I get myself a little travel trailer.

The 4.10:1 D35 you're looking for does exist, but is exceptionally rare (they were only used in 1991,1992 4-cyl trucks, and (even more rarely), some 3.0L automatic trucks). Not many are left in the wild.
You might have to take the one you have into a rearend shop and have them swap 4.10 gears into it if you go that route.

That 2010 axle also is 28 spline. Stick with your original plan of using the Explorer axle (4.10s were relatively common in Explorers starting in 1995).

iirc....not the same. that year ex is a d30

It's a D35, but as 2011 said, it's low-pinion (OP needs high-pinion, a.k.a. "reverse-cut" or "reverse-rotation")

 

[ericbphoto]

It sure does look like things are getting confused here. In the first post, he mentions replacing the rear differential, possibly with parts from a front diff.

Will gears from any Dana 28, 30, 35 fit into an 8.8" diff even if they are normal cut instead of reverse cut? It would be a lot simpler to say "stick with rear axles and parts for the rear ".

 

[bobbywalter]

It sure does look like things are getting confused here. In the first post, he mentions replacing the rear differential, possibly with parts from a front diff.

Will gears from any Dana 28, 30, 35 fit into an 8.8" diff even if they are normal cut instead of reverse cut? It would be a lot simpler to say "stick with rear axles and parts for the rear ".

no.

 

[ericbphoto]

no.

That's kinda what I was assuming. But I didn’t want to stick my neck out and sound stupid. I do that enough unintentionally.

 

[bobbywalter]

The 4.10:1 D35 you're looking for does exist, but is exceptionally rare (they were only used in 1991,1992 4-cyl trucks, and (even more rarely), some 3.0L automatic trucks). Not many are left in the wild.
You might have to take the one you have into a rearend shop and have them swap 4.10 gears into it if you go that route.

That 2010 axle also is 28 spline. Stick with your original plan of using the Explorer axle (4.10s were relatively common in Explorers starting in 1995).



It's a D35, but as 2011 said, it's low-pinion (OP needs high-pinion, a.k.a. "reverse-cut" or "reverse-rotation")

ahhhh...so 99 is still d35 ...
had an issue with a 2001, if i remember correctly they switched when the rangers dropped the lockouts.. i know i used a d30 locker. i thought it was a d35 and it was not. so 2000 must be the crossover year for these.. they make a higher travel cv shaft for them as well.

 

[4x4junkie]

It sure does look like things are getting confused here. In the first post, he mentions replacing the rear differential, possibly with parts from a front diff.

Will gears from any Dana 28, 30, 35 fit into an 8.8" diff even if they are normal cut instead of reverse cut? It would be a lot simpler to say "stick with rear axles and parts for the rear ".

I read it as:
OP needs to replace a whole bunch of rusty brake parts on the rear axle of his 3.73-geared 4x4 Ranger...
Thinks maybe an Explorer axle swap could help to simplify things, he's OK with welding (hoping to get a limited slip & disc brakes in the process)...
He stumbles upon a 2010 Ranger axle that has discs & 4.10 gears (correctly thinks the 4.10 gears can improve towing performance)...
He then finds a cheap '99 Explorer front axle with 4.10 gears (thinking maybe he can use parts from that to match his front to the 4.10 of the 2010 axle)...
Because nothing from the '99 Explorer axle will fit his '93 Ranger, he needs the rare 4.10 TTB D35 from a '91 or '92 4-cyl Ranger (or to regear his current axle).

Hopefully I have that right.

ahhhh...so 99 is still d35 ...
had an issue with a 2001, if i remember correctly they switched when the rangers dropped the lockouts.. i know i used a d30 locker. i thought it was a d35 and it was not. so 2000 must be the crossover year for these.. they make a higher travel cv shaft for them as well.

As far as I've always known, all '95-'01 (2nd-gen) Explorers have the low-pinion IFS Dana35 (same for '98-'11 Ranger). The Dana30 didn't appear until 2002 (3rd-gen 4-dr) models.
There always was the issue with '95-'11 IFS D35s in that standard D35 (or TTB) diff carriers would not fit it because it had some sort of bastard carrier that was narrower (maybe the inside of it was the width of a D30? I'm not sure). This always made it difficult to find lockers for it.

 

[Danny74]

Something in the back of my brain is saying one of those is a reverse rotation and the other is not.

Yea, I know that's true between a 99 & 93 Ranger. I just didn't know about what explorers had.

the 2010 Ranger rear axle does not have a tone ring or provisions for the sensor.

What sensor? I dont have any electrical connections to my rear axle.

I read it as:
OP needs to replace a whole bunch of rusty brake parts on the rear axle of his 3.73-geared 4x4 Ranger...
Thinks maybe an Explorer axle swap could help to simplify things, he's OK with welding (hoping to get a limited slip & disc brakes in the process)...
He stumbles upon a 2010 Ranger axle that has discs & 4.10 gears (correctly thinks the 4.10 gears can improve towing performance)...
He then finds a cheap '99 Explorer front axle with 4.10 gears (thinking maybe he can use parts from that to match his front to the 4.10 of the 2010 axle)...
Because nothing from the '99 Explorer axle will fit his '93 Ranger, he needs the rare 4.10 TTB D35 from a '91 or '92 4-cyl Ranger (or to regear his current axle).

Hopefully I have that right.

Yes, basically. You apparently are the only one that's got it 99.9% correct. The only difference, which really doesn't matter, is that I didn't come across a whole axle, just the differential from inside a front axle.

As far as I've always known, all '95-'01 (2nd-gen) Explorers have the low-pinion IFS Dana35 (same for '98-'11 Ranger). The Dana30 didn't appear until 2002 (3rd-gen 4-dr) models.
There always was the issue with '95-'11 IFS D35s in that standard D35 (or TTB) diff carriers would not fit it because it had some sort of bastard carrier that was narrower (maybe the inside of it was the width of a D30? I'm not sure). This always made it difficult to find lockers for it.

And it's really interesting that you say that, because the person who wants to sell those differential parts to me, had the issue of a cracked carrier, but the gears of the original are still fine and they're only asking 20 bucks for it.
I'll attach a photo I was sent of it. And it needs a new bearing because there's some pitting.


Now Maybe it's a pipe dream trying to get inexpensive 4:10 gears, and I should just forget about it. Shortly after my original post, I came across a listing, that's a lot closer, still far away but a lot closer, for somebody selling an explore axle width the drum brakes and everything ready to go with the same gears I already have. Maybe I should just do that alone and be done with it. Less headache and I'll have my Ranger on the road sooner. I'll just have to be careful what I tow when I finally buy an RV trailer.